Firecracker
by GreenEyedMonster101
Summary: I'm like a firecracker, my daddy used to tell me. And though I haven't been around long, I sure know how to mess with people. And yes, that includes you Mr. Anti-social Cowboy! VaughnXChelsea Rated: T
1. Chapter 1

**A new story I've been wanting to finish the first chapter of. Now that I have my laptop back, I finally was able to tweak it properly. Hope you like it!**

**It's in Chelsea's POV by the way.**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

I had never expected to be living on an island at any point in my life. But here I was, out in a field, staring into the spring sun, wiping sweat off of my forehead and doing actual hard work. I had boarded a passenger boat to escape…well, let's just say to escape. A long story has no need to be extended with minor details. Well anyway, the captain sailed us straight into a storm and we shipwrecked. When I say 'we' and 'us', I mean me and a family of four: Taro, his daughter Felicia and her two kids, Elliot and Natalie. We'd been on the island; Felicia called it Sunny Island; for just over a week. A few people had actually moved in on the island, starting businesses. There was Chen and his son Charlie; they ran a supply shop down by the beach; then there was Gannon; the giant carpenter; and last but not least, my favorite two people on the island, Mirabelle and her daughter Julia. The two ran the animal shop in town next to Taro's house.

I grinned and picked up the pace a little. I hadn't gone to see Julia or her mom yet that morning and I was looking forward to it. Julia was one of my close friends, though she had only been here a few days. Her, Natalie and I often hung out on rainy days in the shop. We called it the barn. But seeing as it wasn't raining, I had to do actual hard work before I could go see Julia.

"Hey Chelsea!" a voice called.

I turned and my grin widened. Julia and some guy I didn't know were walking up the hill to my ranch. I slammed the axe in my hands down on the stump I was relentlessly trying to chop up.

"Hey Jules," I said as I walked over. "Sorry I hadn't gotten down to the barn yet. That stump is being stubborn."

The guy who was with her scoffed, turned away and crossed his arms. He was wearing almost all black, except for his brown vest that covered a button up shirt, and a white bandanna tied around his neck. He was wearing a black Stetson that covered up his white hair and I began wondering how old he was.

"Oh stop being rude, Vaughn," Julia said rolling her eyes. She then turned back to me and rolled her eyes. "Sorry Chels. The downer is my cousin Vaughn. Momma told me to bring him along so you could meet him."

Even though his attitude irritated me to no end, I still smiled at him and stuck my hand out.

"Well then, Mr. Cowboy, it's nice to meet you," I said.

He looked down at my hand and turned around, walking back down the hill. "I'm outta here."

"Vaughn!" Julia called.

"Wow, he really _is_ a downer," I said crossing my arms.

She sighed and turned back to me. "Well, you called him cowboy. He kinda doesn't like it."

I shrugged and wiped my hands on my pants. "Well too bad. Till he lightens up a bit, I'm gonna keep calling him cowboy. He'll come around."

I walked back over to the stump and pulled my axe out of it. Julia sighed and sat down on a make-shift fence I had made out of stone.

"Chels, he's a bit different than anyone you've probably ever met."

I shook my hand at her. "Minor details, Jules. I don't need to know any gory family stories you may have or any of that. I'll get under his skin and he'll either punch me or lighten up."

With another sigh, Julia stood up and placed her hand on my shoulder, eyeing the axe carefully. I smiled and shook my head.

"Good luck then, Chelsea. If you manage to change him, I will be grateful. I think momma will be too."

I grinned and flicked my nose. "Leave it to me then."

She chuckled and started towards the hill. "Well, I'd best be getting back. Momma's gonna wonder where I ran off to."

"I'll be down after lunch," I called as she got further away.

We waved to each other and she disappeared down the hill. I turned back to my stump and chopped at it again.

So I've got an anti-social cowboy to pick at now. I smirked. What fun!

* * *

I opened the animal shop door and jumped when I heard a loud cow bell overhead. Julia must've seen because she began giggling.

"Vaughn installed that this morning," she said.

I rolled my eyes and shut the door. "How very cowboy of him."

Someone cleared their throat and I looked over in the direction of the counter. Vaughn was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. I smirked and rolled my eyes as I made my way to the kitchen where Julia was sitting.

"So, whatcha wanna do today?" I asked as I took a seat across from her.

"I wanted to show Vaughn around the island, but he isn't up to it," she said sticking her tongue out at her cousin.

He took a seat next to us and rolled his eyes. "There's no need to wander around the island when the only place I'm needed is right here."

"Yeah Jules. Minor details are annoying," I said waving my hand at her.

They both gave me weird looks.

"What are you talking about?" she asked me, obviously trying not to giggle.

"Well, walking around the island would take all day, plus with Mr. Downer here, it'd be so boring. And he might scare away the fluffy bunnies that run around in the meadow."

He stood up and scoffed, walking back to his corner. "You're so annoying."

I turned to him. "So? You got a problem with that, cowboy?"

He turned in a flash and had the scariest glare plastered on his face. I had been glared at before, so I was used to the chill that ran up my spine and I kept my composure.

"Stop calling me that!" he barked. He then walked into the back room of the barn.

After the door was slammed shut, I burst into laughter. I banged my fist on the table a few times. Julia sighed.

"That was kind of mean, Chels."

"Hey, he called me annoying. When he does something that irritates me, I'm gonna irritate him back. He'll learn; it's psychology."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I dunno, Chelsea. He doesn't seem like the type to be like other people."

I leaned across the table. "Look, all people are the same. If you try being nice to a mean person, you're just gonna get your ass whooped."

"Oh? And what if you're nice to a nice person?"

I scowled at her. "Vaughn isn't nice though…"

She blushed and I rolled my eyes. She was talking about Elliot, Felicia's nerdy son. Julia had developed a sickening crush on the poor kid.

"Elliot has a very intimidating sister. You can't expect him to notice your feelings."

"But he's so cute and he blushes when I'm around him!"

I rolled my eyes. "Well yeah, look at your chest."

She rolled her eyes as well. "Oh big deal, I can't help my genetics."

I laughed slightly and leaned back in my chair. I heard something smash in the back room and both Julia and I jumped to our feet. We ran into the back and saw Vaughn staring at a broken window with his arms crossed.

"Vaughn? What happened?"

He turned and looked at us. He then pointed to the window. "Broken window."

I crossed my arms. "Thank you Sherlock Holmes."

He glared at me.

"You guys! Stop it! Vaughn, how did the window break?"

"Dunno, heard it break and I came runnin."

I rolled my eyes and stepped forward. In front of the window was a rock with a note tied to it. Curiously, I picked it up. Julia walked over to me and looked over my shoulder.

"What's that Chels?"

Vaughn stepped over and also looked over my shoulder. I opened the note and read it aloud.

"'Come to the Diner at six tonight.' Who the heck wrote this?"

Vaughn took it from me. "It's a girl's handwriting."

I scoffed and took it back. "Yeah, no guy I know can write this neat."

He glared down at me and went to take it again. I dodged and hid behind Julia, sticking my tongue out at him childishly. Julia snatched the note away from me, causing me to scowl at her.

"This note is obviously meant for you, Vaughn," she said as she read it over again.

I snatched it back and folded it up. "Minor details, Julia. Most importantly, who could've written it? The only women on the island are you, me, Nat, Felicia and your mom. If it were Nat, I think she'd just come barging in and drag him off. If it were one of us…well, it wasn't. Felicia would ask and your mom would sooner cook to fatten him up than let him eat at the diner."

Julia looked at me wide-eyed.

"I'm not done yet. Now, the only other explanation is that someone moved to the island at some point and never had the nerve to introduce themselves to me. So, unless there is some higher power at work here, we have a new resident to the island that saw Vaughn and is stalking him."

Both Julia and Vaughn gawked at me. I smirked and placed the folded piece of paper in my pocket. "Yes, I know I'm awesome."

Vaughn scoffed. "I was gonna say you're ten tons of crazy."

Julia punched his arm and looked at me puzzled. "But why would someone break our window? Why wouldn't they just walk through the door?"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed her wrist. "What did I say about minor details? They are irritating. Now c'mon, let's go find our new resident and make them pay for a new window."

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 is up.  
**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The first place I dragged Julia to was the main room of the shop. I pulled out a map I had made when I first arrived of every place a person lived.

"Ok, we are here," I said pointing to the barn. "Taro lives here, Chen and Charlie here, Gannon there and I live way up there. That I know of, nobody has moved in on the other side of town and that shack on the beach isn't suitable for living yet."

"Chelsea, how do you do all of this?" Julia asked, gesturing to my map.

I glanced up at her. "I have plenty of free time and I love using crayons. But those are minor details, Jules. Our main objective is to find the culprit and beat the pulp outta her."

"Chelsea! You can't do that! She just has a crush on Vaughn, don't hit her for it!"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Having a crush on someone and breaking a window are not the same. She's a crazy stalker and needs to be stopped before she breaks _him_."

Julia gave me a frightening grin. She looked as if she were up to something. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" I asked somewhat nervous.

"You care about my cousin," she cooed.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, focusing on my map again. "Don't get this confused, Jules. He's your cousin, so I have to be nice to him. And seeing as you can't protect him, I've gotta take the responsibility into my own hands."

She gasped angrily. "You don't think I can protect him?"

"Julia, you're afraid of harmless fish. How can you protect him with a silly fear like that?"

"I am NOT afraid of fish! I just hate the way they taste! It's so revolting!"

I laughed and held my arms out. "Ok, so you're not afraid of fish. But you still can't protect someone if you're not willing to kick some ass."

"I will kick ass! It just has to be for a good reason. Just because this girl has a crush on Vaughn doesn't mean that you-"

"WAIT!" I cried.

I slammed my hands on the table and looked up at Julia. She had her hand on her chest as if her heart was going to pop out or something. She was looking at me terrified.

From the back room, Vaughn came bursting through the door. "What are you shouting about?"

"I have no idea! She just suddenly shouted and started grinning like a madman," Julia said looking at me in fear.

"Who is the only one on the island who builds homes?" I asked.

"Gannon," Julia said puzzled.

"So then who might know about a new resident?"

Her face lit up. "Gannon!"

"Exactly. So we should do what?"

"Go ask him!"

I laughed at her happiness. She was blonde, so thinking was usually difficult for her. Vaughn looked between the two of us and started to retreat to the back again. I was too quick and I rushed over and grabbed his wrist.

"Nice try, cowboy. You're getting dragged into this now. Right place at the wrong time," I said, pulling him towards the front door.

"What? No way! You two can go make idiots of yourselves, but leave me out of it!" he protested, trying to pull out of my grip.

"If you stay here by yourself, the culprit is going to tie you up and gag you. I don't want to think about what she'll do after, seeing as that's just minor details."

"She's gonna what?" he asked, not pulling away from me.

Using this to my advantage, I yanked him out the door. "C'mon Jules! Before he figures out I tricked him!"

"HEY!" he shouted.

Julia walked out with a smile on her face. The three of us walked; well I dragged Vaughn; over to Gannon's shop. The big guy was standing behind the counter looking bored.

"Hiya, Gannon," I said happily, still dragging Vaughn.

"Hey there, Chelsea. Who's the cowboy?"

Vaughn pulled his hat down over his eyes with his free hand. I laughed and Julia sighed.

"Gannon, this is my cousin Vaughn," Julia said.

"Oh, and he doesn't like being called cowboy. But do it anyway, cuz he hates it."

I looked up at him as he shot me a glare. Gannon cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Sorry, Vaughn. Didn't know…" Gannon said apologetically.

"No big deal…" Vaughn grumbled back.

I looked between the two of them and shrugged. "Ok, so back to our objective. Gannon, we need to know who moved in recently."

Gannon looked surprised. "We have a new arrival? Why didn't they introduce themselves to me?"

I was awestruck and felt my jaw drop. "You didn't know of anybody? But don't you build all the houses around here?"

He nodded. "Yep, that's my job. Oh! But it coulda been that rich mine company owner. Don't know why ya'd wanna meet him though; he's scary lookin."

"Minor details, Gannon. Where does he live?"

Gannon scratched his head. "I didn't know anybody had moved in yet. Ya see, the guy had an outside carpentry company build his house. I doubt they'd be done yet."

I sighed deeply. "Well that throws us off…Well thanks anyway Gannon."

"Sorry I couldn't help ya more than that," he said with a wave as we stepped out.

"No problem, Gannon!" I called as I shut the door.

I let go of Vaughn and sighed deeply. I shook my head and pulled out the map. Vaughn and Julia looked over my shoulder. I looked around and didn't see new construction started.

"Let's go to the other side of town. You can run away if you'd like to cowboy."

He glared at me and crossed his arms. "What happened to right place, wrong time?"

I shrugged. "Now it's just the wrong place, right time. So you don't have to tag along. Our mystery isn't gonna be solved just yet."

"And what will happen if I get tied up and gagged?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'm pretty sure you can defend yourself against a girl. Just duck in case she has more rocks," I said as I walked away.

Julia giggled and I heard Vaughn sigh irritably. I headed to the west side of town, not really caring if the pair followed me or not. I got past where a giant boulder used to be and stopped short. Vaughn ran into me, grabbing my arm as I started to fall forward.

"Jeez! Don't just stop walking when there's someone behind you!" he snapped.

"That's a big house," I muttered, not really hearing what he had said.

I heard Julia inhale deeply. There was a very large house standing in a spot that had been vacant the day before. It was three stories or so with a big brick wall around its borders. At each turning point on the wall was a large spiky thing that made the place look frightening.

"What'd they do? Water the ground after planting the blueprints or something?" I asked, throwing my arms in the air.

I started walking towards the house, but Julia grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"I-I don't think we should go inside," she whispered.

"Why not? It's not like they have rabid dogs in the backyard just waiting for the signal to rip us apart," I said. I pulled my arm away. "You don't have to follow me; just don't come to my funeral if I die."

I started towards the house again and I heard Vaughn sigh. I heard the clunking of his boots on the stone path and knew he was following me. I walked up to the front door and knocked loudly. Vaughn and Julia stopped next to me.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Julia whispered.

"Not a clue," I muttered back.

I heard her swallow hard and I smirked. A very tall, pale man with a crooked nose answered the door. He looked down at us and scowled.

"May I help you?" he asked in a milky yet old voice.

"Are you the one who owns this house?" I asked as politely as I could.

He eyed me suspiciously. "I am, yes. Why does it concern you?"

I stuck my hand out for him to shake. "My name is Chelsea, it's nice to meet you. I run the ranch on the island and I got wind of a newcomer, so I brought my friends along to meet you. This is Julia and Vaughn."

He shook my hand apprehensively. "My name is Regis. Why don't you children come in and have a seat?"

I shook my head politely. "I'm sorry sir. We're looking for someone. You might be able to help us, though. Do you have a daughter about our age who might be running around?"

He scowled down at me. "What business do you have with Sabrina?"

My heart fluttered at the fact that we may have found our culprit. "Oh, I was just curious. I had seen a girl walking around the other side of town I had never seen before. She looked kid of shy and I wanted to try and be friends with her."

"Sorry, but she won't be seeing any of you!" he said, slamming the door shortly afterwards.

I turned around triumphantly and practically strutted down the walkway. Julia was clutching Vaughn's arm with a scared look on her face. I led the way back to the barn and danced around in a circle when we got inside.

"See? I told you I could figure it out! Now we know who the culprit is! And she's a rich girl, so she can pay for the damages!" I squealed happily.

"Chelsea, I don't think we should pester that man," Julia said.

I turned and gawked at her. "What? After all the investigating we did? But we found our culprit! She has to pay for the damages!"

"What damages?"

I winced and turned to see Mirabelle walking into the room. Julia ran to her mother and hugged her.

"We just met the scariest man ever, momma," she whimpered.

I put my hands on my hips. "Julia, you're such a codfish."

She looked at me puzzled. "Codfish?"

"Never mind. He wasn't that scary. He just looked like a vampire."

"Kids, what damages? What are you talking about?"

I sighed and sat down on the bench close to the door. "Julia and I were talking about what to do today when someone broke one of the windows in the back. We investigated and found that it was a girl who had thrown a rock asking Vaughn to dinner. So, we went to the new house in the west side of town and saw her dad; the scary vampire guy. He's rich so he should be able to pay it off."

Vaughn crossed my path and flicked my forehead, scowling down at me. "I already fixed the window, you moron. There is nothing to worry about Mirabelle. You can take the pay out of my check."

I gawked at him. "What are you doing? Make that Sabrina girl pay for it!" I protested.

He turned and glared at me. "I'm not gonna make a girl pay for something like that! Who cares about that stupid detective game you've been playing! Why don't you grow up and start acting like the rancher on the island!"

I knew my face fell by the look on Mirabelle's face. She suddenly looked concerned and took a step towards me. I shook my head and managed a smile.

"Yeah…I'll do that…Thanks, cowboy…" I muttered.

I turned and walked out as tears started running down my face. I didn't know that it was stupid to find someone and make them pay for vandalism. But he was right; I needed to buckle down and get to work on my ranch.

Wiping my eyes, I headed back to the ranch with high hopes. I grabbed my axe again and began chopping the stump, vowing to have it in pieces before nightfall.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Next two chapters being pumped out WHOO! Oh, the reason for the slight delay: I have to clean out my Uploaded Stories. So, I'm making sure to back them up onto my computer so that I know I have them. So yeah.**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

It was summer before I knew it. It turns out that Mr. Cowboy only stays on the island for two days before running back to the city. As I always say though, just minor details. I had actually taken his 'advice' and started really working hard. Ok, so he was just yelling stuff at me, but it sounded like a good idea when he said it.

So here I was taking care of a flock of three hens and a little calf. Vaughn had been surprised during his last visit to see a barn and coop standing on my property, and even more so when I bought loads of feed for both chickens and cows.

I named the little calf Bessie and had gotten her as a gift from Taro. He heard I was building the coop and barn and had bought Bessie for me and my first hen Betty. They were both really happy, if I did say so myself.

"Alright, Bess. Grow up soon so you can get some fresh air," I said as I patted the little calf.

She mooed at me and nudged me with her pudgy head. I laughed and rubbed behind her ears before heading out to the field. I sighed deeply. Now that I had cleared the field of all debris, I was bored. The side of my field closest to the river was full of all sorts of crops that didn't need watering and the side closest to the barn was full of fenced in grass. The two older hens were clucking around in their own pen that had no grass. The only area where weeds grew was near the house, but only two or three would appear every so often. I sighed again and went down to the barn.

When the cow bell rang, I barely even noticed it. I hadn't even had time to close the door before I was tackled. No need to guess who it was.

"Can I help you, Julia?" I asked, groaning under her weight.

"He's gonna kill me!" she squealed, getting up and running out the open door.

I got to my feet and looked out after her. She was running like a banshee off to my ranch flailing something in her hand. My eyes went wide as I saw what it was: Vaughn's hat. I turned and saw Vaughn glaring at me as if it was my fault.

"Don't go blaming me, cowboy! I had nothing to do with this!"

He didn't say anything and just brushed past me. He went to the left at a dead run. I left the shop and took off to my ranch when Vaughn was out of sight. I found Julia in my stable.

"Are you crazy? He's gonna maul you!" I hissed, taking the hat away from her.

"Come on, Chels! Doesn't this spark some kind of inspiration for an adventure? Ever since Vaughn snapped at you, you've been all serious and boring," she pouted.

"Well, at this rate, I'm gonna die serious and boring! If he kills me, I'm haunting you until he gets you too."

She waved her hand at me. "Ugh, minor details."

I glared at her and walked out, Vaughn's hat in hand. I knew exactly where to find him: the diner. I jogged the whole way there and saw him sitting with his head down in the furthest table from the door. He also had his back to me. I placed the hat on his head and sat down across from him.

"She was in my stable, ranting about me being boring and hoping that stealing your hat would spark some inspiration for me to be fun," I explained before he could say anything mean to me.

He lifted his head, adjusted the hat properly and sighed. I nodded approvingly and stood up, heading towards the door.

"What, not gonna stay and eat with me?" he asked.

"Nope. I've got work to do. Plus, your stalker is here and she'll rip my face off if I stay," I said gesturing to the girl who had turned out to be Sabrina.

I walked out and sighed. My main goal with Vaughn had actually been achieved. He had opened up to me a little and accepted me. The only downside to it was that I wasn't as bubbly as I had been when we first met, so it felt like he hadn't fully accepted me.

As I made my way past the animal shop, Julia grabbed me and pulled me inside.

"So how'd it go? Is he pissed?"

"Probably. Not at me though. He actually asked me to eat with him."

She looked me over. "Ok, then why are you here? You should be eating with him."

"Nah, I've got other things to be doing. I'm thinking about expanding my house or maybe the coop. Or maybe I'll build a bridge to the jungle and go exploring…"

Julia shook me violently. "Don't you get it? He likes you, you idiot! You may be smart when it comes to how to deal with everybody, but I'm smart when it comes to people's feelings!"

I sighed. "He accepted me, but not _all_ of me. You even said it yourself; I'm boring and serious. That's his fault, you know."

"But, he liked you before that too! He's just glad that you've mellowed out a bit."

"Look, I've got things to do, ok?"

"But-"

We stopped when the cow bell rang over the door. A blonde walked in and adjusted a baseball cap on his head. He had bright green eyes and a warm smile.

"Hey, is one of you Chelsea?" he asked.

I felt my heart skip a beat when he said my name. I stepped forward and held out my hand. "That'd be me. It's nice to meet you…uh…?"

He laughed. "My name's Mark," he said, shaking my hand.

His touch was soft, but firm; kinda like someone hugging you with a blanket. He laugh made me smile and I felt like being silly.

"So, whatcha here for, Mark?"

"Well, I heard about you running the ranch and I thought it'd be cool to see a rancher work first hand. I mean," he blushed. "If you don't mind, can I watch you do some work on the ranch?"

I laughed and smiled. "Yeah sure! Hey, if you want, you can even help out."

His face lit up. "Seriously? But we only just met."

"So? I'm not one for the minor details in life."

I heard Julia gasp and I turned, giving her a puzzled look. She was looking at me wide-eyed like I said something odd. I shrugged and turned back to Mark.

"So head up to the ranch at about six tomorrow morning, ok? Do you know where the ranch is?"

He smiled broadly. "Yeah, it's just up the hill. I was already up there actually. The old man next door told me you'd be there."

I blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry, I was dealing with another issue."

He shook his hand at me. "Hey, no worries. Alright, six tomorrow. Thanks a lot, Chelsea!"

I waved at him as he walked out and turned back to Julia. She had her hands on her hips and she was glaring at me fiercely.

"Uh, did I do something wrong, Jules?" I asked.

She grabbed my arm and sat me down in one of the dining room chairs. "It has been a month since I heard you say 'minor details'. All of a sudden this new guy shows up and you go back to normal! What's going on with you?"

The cow bell rang again and I looked over. Vaughn walked in with a toothpick in his mouth. He caught me staring and his face went blank.

"What?" he asked.

Julia turned and went pink. "Nothing, we're just having a chit-chat, right Chels?"

I shrugged. "I did something wrong, but she won't tell me what it is. Apparently talking to Mark was a big no-no."

Vaughn's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who's Mark?"

Julia waved her hand at him. "Some blonde twerp. He's gonna help Chelsea with her farm work tomorrow cuz she offered."

"So what? He asked to watch, but what can you learn from watching?"

Vaughn slammed his fist on the table loudly, causing me and Julia to jump. "You're gonna let him handle those animals when you have no idea if he's ever even been around animals?"

I scowled at him. "Why are you both getting so mad at me? I make my own decisions, so butt out!"

I went to stand, but Julia shoved me back down. "I'm not mad about the farm work. You're falling for this guy already."

I saw Vaughn's face go blank again out of the corner of my eye. I scowled up at Julia.

"I am not!" I protested.

"Oh really? I heard you say 'minor details' Chels. You-"

"So what if I haven't said it in a while? I've been working my ass off!"

"You glared at me this morning when _I_ said it! Now you go saying it like you never stopped!"

I was frustrated and glared up at her. I gritted my teeth. "Why does it matter to you what I do and don't say?"

"You only stopped saying it because Vaughn told you to grow up! Now you see this guy and go back to your old self!"

I glanced at Vaughn and saw a surprised look on his face. "Don't get the wrong idea, cowboy," I growled.

He glared at me and turned away. "Julia, let her up. If she wants to teach some wannabe farmer, let her. She'll just be disappointed when he sucks at it."

Julia moved and I stormed over to Vaughn. He turned slightly and I punched him as hard as I could across the face. He looked at me shocked and Julia rushed over to him.

"I don't know why I ever even wasted my breath with you," I growled. "An asshole will always just be an asshole. I hope you have a lousy life Vaughn. Maybe someday you'll realize that not all people are stupid."

"Chelsea, get out," Julia hissed, obviously mad that I hit her cousin.

I stormed out and slammed the door behind me, angry tears springing from my eyes. Stupid cowboy, always making me cry.

* * *

**Yes, Julia is very protective of her cousin. Even if he is a total ass XD Read and Review  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am purposely making time fly like crazy. I don't like spending minor details on each and every season. The story would take WAY too long to get my point across.**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It was the end of autumn before long. Seasons really flew on this damn island. My stock of animals had increased to eight hens, three cows, a horse and a dog. Bessie was expecting another calf, so I would soon have four cows. I had taken a liking to riding my horse, whom I named Bullet, without any tack at all. It made it seem more natural and he loved it. My dog, Bandit, enjoyed running along beside me as I rode Bullet. His tongue would be dangling out of his mouth and he'd keep up to his best ability, though it's hard to keep up with a galloping horse, especially when he's ten times your size.

"C'mon, Bandit," I said, calling to the little dog as I jumped on Bullet's back. "Let's go to the barn."

Bandit jumped to his feet and was running off the ranch to get a head start. I laughed and urged Bullet towards the hill. He whinnied and trotted down the hill. Bandit was nowhere in sight when I got to the barn. I shrugged and rode Bullet into the small fenced in enclosure with another gelding. The pair nickered to each other as I slid off of Bullet. I closed the gate and went inside.

"Bandit!" I called as I entered.

He barked in response, so I knew he was safe. I found Vaughn by a calf and completely ignored him. He was still bitter about me having Mark helping me out. He could just simmer in his bitter juices for all I cared. He had also begun hanging out with his little stalker, which was creepy. Julia had said he was trying to make me jealous, but boy it wasn't working.

I got inside the main shop and bent down to scoop up Bandit. I rubbed his head as I walked over to Julia. "Hey Jules."

She scowled at me. "What, not gonna hang out with your boyfriend?"

I winced. She had been bitter with me since I snapped at Vaughn in summer. I had apologized to the butthead, but Julia never fully forgave me.

"Jules, I don't even like him like that. He's just a huge help. He deals with the crops and I manage the animals. Why do you think I've got so many now?"

She rolled her eyes and turned back to whatever she was doing. I sighed deeply and sat down at the table.

"Julia, why are you _still_ angry at me?"

She turned back and sighed, looking at me almost motherly. She hugged me around the neck and sighed again.

"I'm not angry with you, Chelsea. Elliot's just acting strange again."

I laughed. The nerd had finally proposed to her, but they weren't getting married until winter. The usual tradition was a week after the proposal, hence why she thought he was acting weird.

"He loves you, Jules. He's probably nervous like crazy and is too worried to confront you. Guys like him are just afraid of what you'll think of them, that's all."

"Can you do your detective work for me? Find out what's got him so worried, please?" she begged.

I sighed with a smile on my face. "I dunno. I stopped that detective stuff a long time ago…"

"Yeah, and look what happened to Vaughn. He's flirting with his stalker and being even more bitter than usual."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, causing Bandit to jump from my lap. "Vaughn isn't on my priority list anymore, Julia. I gave up on him back in the summer…I'll help you, but just this once."

She squealed and threw her arms around me again. "Oh thank you, Chelsea!"

I laughed and left the barn with Bandit. We headed to Taro's house and found Elliot inside all alone.

"Hey El," I said as we walked in.

Bandit ran over to him and begged for attention. Elliot smiled nervously and patted Bandit on the head. I sat down at the table next to him.

"Jules is worried about you," I said, not bothering to beat around the bush.

He tensed up slightly and sighed. "She wants to get married sooner, doesn't she…"

"I dunno, I didn't ask. More or less, she just thinks that something is on your mind cuz you pushed the date so far back. She asked me to investigate."

He smiled and laughed a little. "Yeah, she told me stories about your little detective work."

I smiled slightly, but it faded when he sighed. "Grandpa keeps telling me that we're rushing this whole marriage thing…He says we should wait 'til we're older."

I snorted. "By the time he thinks you two are ready to get married, you'll have the same number of wrinkles as he does."

He laughed again. "Yeah, I guess…"

"But..?"

"But what if he's right? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Julia." He broke into a deep blush. "She's my whole world. But maybe we _are_ rushing this and we should wait..."

It was a little too mushy for me, but I held my lunch down and thought for a minute. "Well, if you want, I can explain the situation to her so that her reaction doesn't worry you more, though I don't think she'll flip out. I can't guarantee anything, but I can't at least set her straight."

He smiled and put his hand on my arm. "You're a really good friend to her, you know?"

"Yeah, I know...But hey, she was one of my first friends, so I gotta help her."

He smiled again and patted Bandit one last time. "Thanks a bunch, Chels."

I waved to him as Bandit and I left for the barn. We got inside and I saw Vaughn talking to Julia. I ignored him and sat down, waiting politely for their conversation to end.

"What, not gonna butt in like you used to?" Vaughn asked me bitterly.

"You deserved it then. But I _do_ know how to be civil," I explained.

He rolled his eyes. "We can talk again later, Jules. I don't need an extra set of ears around." He glared at me and left.

I watched him leave and rolled my eyes. "So I talked to El. He says that Taro thinks that you two are rushing the whole marriage ordeal, that's all. Taro's been sort of pressuring him to hold off the wedding 'til you two are older."

Julia sighed. "Well, I guess that makes sense..."

"He says that you're his whole world and that he loves you, so don't worry about him chickening out. I don't think that boy can survive without you. Natalie hasn't been picking on him so much since he got the balls to propose."

Julia giggled and blushed. "He really said I was his whole world."

I smiled and shook my head. Typical Julia; only caring about something her fiancé said. "Yes, Jules; he really said that."

She squealed slightly and sighed lovingly. "That boy drives me crazy..."

I patted my leg and Bandit jumped into my lap. He licked my hand as I patted him.

"Oh, Vaughn was talking about you before you walked in," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "You heard what he said. 'I don't need an extra set of ears listening in'. You might as well forget about telling me anything that has to do with that man. He doesn't say nice things about me anyways."

She leaned across the table with a wide smirk on her face. "Oh? Then him saying that you running off to other guys isn't a nice thing? He has been bitter ever since summer because you asked Mark to help and not him."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, Bandit grumbling in the process. "Yeah, I'll believe that when he gets the balls to tell me himself or when Bandit starts speaking in fluent English."

Upon hearing his name, Bandit barked loudly. I held my hands out to him and he jumped into my arms. "Yeah, I didn't think it was true."

I turned to go into the back room and stopped dead in my tracks. Standing there, with an unreadable look on his face, was Vaughn. I looked right into his eyes to see if I could read those at all, but he tipped his head down. I blushed slightly and stepped around him.

"Meet me at the diner tonight at six, don't be late," he muttered as I walked past him.

I pretended like I didn't hear him as I walked into the back room. As I got to Bullet, I put Bandit down and noticed that I was shaking. My heart was pounding as I mounted Bullet, turning him towards the ranch.

I was nervous about dinner with Vaughn? As if. He was probably just gonna yell at me about something stupid. I felt my nerves melt away and smirked as I got to the ranch.

* * *

I made my way down to the diner at five thirty. I had decided to walk, and slowly for that matter, just to irritate Vaughn. If he really wanted me there, he wouldn't mind me being a _little_ late. Hey, it's better than not showing up at all.

Ok, so I was a _little_ early. It was ten of six when I got there and I was actually surprised to see Vaughn sitting in the back of the diner with his head tilted down. I saw a waitress walk over to take his order or flirt with him, or both, but he tilted his head up and glared fiercely at her. She ran to the kitchen on the brink of tears. I almost laughed aloud as I crossed the busy diner to the booth he was in. I slid in across from him and grabbed a menu.

"So what was _so_ important that we had to meet at the diner at its busiest time?" I asked, scanning the menu I had memorized like the back of my hand.

"You're making a huge mistake with that Mark kid," he grumbled.

I rolled my eyes. "Please. He's a good worker and doesn't mind that he's on crop duty."

"You won't let him near the animals at all?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

I put the menu down and raised an eyebrow at him. "Like I said, he's a good worker. But I don't trust the kid as far as I can throw him. And seeing as I probably can't even pick him up, my trust is slim to none. If anyone is gonna mess up with the animals, it's gonna be me."

That earned a half-smile and then a slight glare. I laughed at his face and then smiled at the waiter who had appeared.

"Can I have just simple buckwheat noodles and a glass of milk?" I asked politely.

He smiled down at me and scribbled down my order. "Certainly. And you sir?"

"Porridge and milk," Vaughn said bitterly.

The waiter glanced at me and I rolled my eyes. He nodded and walked away. I then turned back to Vaughn and leaned on my elbow.

"Ya know, people might like you a little more if you weren't so rude and if you smiled a bit."

He scoffed and crossed his arms. "You're not the first person to tell me that. I'm not gonna change who I am just to make other people happy. And what's the big deal about smiling?"

"It makes you look happy even if you hate the world," I said with a shrug.

He rolled his eyes. "What a waste of time, smiling."

"I wouldn't mind seeing you smile. And none of that half-smiling crap. Though it's cute, it's not smiling."

He tilted his hat down over his face, so I assumed he was turning red. He then tilted his head up and was smirking.

"How's this?"

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Why are you smirking?"

He sighed and tilted his head down again. When he tilted it back up, he had the cute half-smile on his face. "How 'bout this?"

I then realized he was trying to smile. "Ok, I need to buy you a mirror, cuz you've obviously never smiled before." I leaned over the table and took my index fingers and pulled the corners of his mouth far apart. "Now that-"

I never got to finish my sentence. I burst out into uncontrolled laughter at the goofy face I made him give me. Several people looked over at me, so I quieted down a little. When I got control of myself, I saw Vaughn glaring at me.

"You just humiliated me," he growled.

"Actually, I humiliated myself. Nobody saw the goofy face I made you make. Only I did, so stop worrying. If you were ever to seriously smile like that though, people would laugh their asses off."

He glared at me darker as I snickered to myself. Our drinks came and I chugged half of mine before the waiter had even left. He offered to refill it, but I just laughed and waved him away. Vaughn circled the top of his glass with his middle finger.

"So this whole private meeting was about Mark?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Yeah, pretty much."

"That's hard to believe. You've told me what you thought of him before and I remember hitting you rather hard and getting kicked out of the shop."

He half-smiled again and chuckled. "Yeah, you hit me pretty hard."

"Yeah, and I said some really nasty things to you," I said looking down at the table. "I can be such an annoyance sometimes."

He chuckled again. "You can, but I deserved what you said."

I looked up at him surprised. His face suddenly showed concern, surprising me more and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I touched my cheek and looked at the tear as if I'd never seen tears before.

"What's with you?" he asked, voice full of concern despite what he said.

"I have no idea," I said breathlessly. Suddenly, I was hit with a wave of emotions and tears sprung from my eyes. I quickly shielded my face.

I felt someone slide in next to me and a strong arm wrap around my waist. "What's wrong, Chels?" Vaughn whispered, very close to my ear.

I felt my face burn up and I shook my head. "I honestly have no idea. My tearducts must be going haywire or something," I said, surprised that my voice wasn't shaky or cracked.

He rubbed my side gently and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling. It was strange to be sitting with Vaughn so close, holding me and me enjoying it. Wait a second....My eyes snapped open again.

Why was Vaughn holding me? Furthermore, why was I enjoying it?

I quickly wiped my eyes and sat up straight. I glanced over at him. "I'm good, thanks."

He tilted his head down and went back to his side of the table. He didn't tilt his head back up at all and I was consumed in my thoughts. That is, until I had the nerve to voice them.

"You called me Chels. I've never heard you call me that."

His head shot up, face pink and eyes wide. His jaw slacked slightly. I put my chin down on my folded arms.

"You were also holding me, though I thought you were pissed at me for hiring Mark."

I looked up at him with a blank (or so I hoped) look on my face. His face reddened a little bit more, his jaw tightened and he tilted his head down.

"I called you Chels, just cuz I was too lazy to say Chelsea. You don't like it, too bad. And I'm not pissed at you anymore cuz you don't let him handle the animals."

I smirked. "You obviously heard Julia telling me what you two were talking about. Otherwise you wouldn't have asked me here. So why don't you tell me the real reason we're eating dinner, hm?"

His head shot up again and he half-glared at me, though it wasn't nearly as intimidating with the blush that had formed.

"What are you talking about?" he growled, still trying to intimidate me.

I chuckled slightly. "Unlike you, Sherlock Holmes, I am an Ace Detective."

"Then why don't you tell yourself why we're here, Ace Detective," he said, leaning across the table with a smirk plastered on his face.

I smirked wider. He wanted to play that game? Well, this was gonna be an interesting dinner indeed.

* * *

**Read and Review please :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it took so long. I've been trying to wrap up my other story while writing this one. It's kind of hard to go from Vaughn-mode to Chelsea-mode. Anyways...**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

For the longest time, we simply smirked at each other. To a passerby, we may have looked as if we were having a staring contest. It took me a while to think of a witty comment, but when I went to speak, our food arrived.

"Here you go, Miss. Buckwheat noodles," the waiter said. "And porridge for you, sir."

It wasn't until that moment that I started snickering. The waiter looked at me oddly, but I waved at him and turned away giggling. Vaughn cleared his throat and I looked over at him. He was scowling at me and had his elbows on the table.

"What, might I ask, is making you so giggly?" he asked.

I chuckled a little and grabbed my fork. "Why did you order porridge? It's so bland and boring."

He glared at me and ate a spoonful. "Maybe I like bland and boring."

I rolled my eyes and ate my noodles. Neither of us said anything for the entire meal. Of course, the garbage-gut cowboy finished his bowl of blandness before I finished my meal. He grabbed a toothpick from a container on the table and shoved it in his mouth, not actually picking his teeth. When I finished my meal, I put his bowl on my plate and pushed them both to the middle. I then leaned back in the booth slightly and crossed my arms.

"We're here because this is your strange way of apologizing," I said.

Though the comment seemed random, Vaughn chuckled. "Nope."

I scowled. "Then this is a sort of date."

His face went blank and he tilted his head down. I smirked and leaned forward, getting a glimpse of his face. His face was redder than a tomato and his eyes were wide. He saw me looking at him and tilted his head down further. I leaned back up slightly and chuckled.

"Ok, so why a date? Hm...You have a thing for me, even though you prefer bland and boring."

He looked up at me with a puzzled look on his face. I pointed to the porridge bowl and he blushed again.

"So, why don't you make up your mind? Bland and boring or annoying and energetic?"

He looked up again. "I ain't deciding on that. You'll only embarrass me further."

I giggled slightly and rolled my eyes. "Ok, I'm sorry Mr. Cowboy. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

He tilted his head down again and the waiter arrived, taking our dishes. "Anything else tonight?"

I saw Vaughn shake his head out of the corner of my eye, but I smirked with a sudden idea. "Yes, actually. Can we get a chocolate milkshake to share? Whipped cream and two cherries too, if it's not too much to ask."

The waiter nodded and walked away. I turned back to see Vaughn blushing even deeper. He looked like he was going to get up, but I snatched his hat off his head. He gawked at me and reached for it, but I placed it on my lap and smirked.

"I don't think so," I said.

He scowled, blushed a little, and sat down again. He tilted his head down so that his hair was covering his face. "Why are you going through all this trouble?"

"What trouble?" I asked confused. "You apologized in your own weird way, so let me in mine. You don't like it, you can leave. Just don't expect this hat to be on your head until you sit your ass down and drink a milkshake with me. And just to warn you: I'm contemplating putting whipped cream on your face."

He looked up and scowled, but had a red blush across his face. "You do that and I'm doin' it right back," he warned.

I smirked and leaned over the table slightly. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

He blushed again, therefore ducking out of my sight. Even though the jerk was a total grouch, he had a very cute side that I'm glad he rarely showed. It made it more...special, when he acted this way. I found myself smiling warmly at him and even felt myself blushing. He looked up at me and then looked sideways.

"What are you staring at?" he asked, obviously embarrassed.

I looked down at my lap and played with his hat. "N-nothing," I stuttered. "Just that, it's sort of a treat, ya know? Seeing you act like this...You're kind of cute without your hat on."

I heard him chuckle slightly. "Oh really? So I'm cute now?"

I gritted my teeth. "S-So? What's the big deal?"

He laughed quietly and I glanced up at him. He was smiling, an actual smile, and he was staring at me with his hands in his right hand that was propped on the table.

"What are _you_ staring at?"

"You obviously. Who else is there to stare at?"

Someone cleared their throat and I looked to my right. The waiter had arrived with the chocolate milkshake. He was looking at Vaughn oddly who had tilted his head down. I took the glass and straws from the waiter.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

He nodded and walked away. I placed both straws in the glass and slid it towards Vaughn.

"Here, take the first sip....I don't know how you feel about sharing it at the same time..."

He slid it to the center and scowled at me slightly. "I'm not afraid of cooties, you dork."

He grabbed his straw and shoved it in his mouth. I followed suit, except much slower. I found myself blushing and looking away. It suddenly hit me that we must've looked like some sort of new couple. I shook my head slightly and glanced back at Vaughn. He had a smirk on his face and his straw wasn't in his mouth anymore. I furrowed my eyebrows as I tried to figure out what he was doing.

"What are you-" I began.

Before I could finish, he wiped some whipped cream on my nose. I crossed my eyes to look at it and he chuckled. I scowled and did the same to him, except I got it on his cheek. He scowled back and grabbed more, causing me to do the same. Before long, we both had whipped cream all over our faces and we were laughing quietly. I then took one of the cherries and stuck it to the whipped cream on his nose. He scowled and put the other on my nose. I giggled and grabbed my straw.

* * *

Neither of us bothered to wipe off our faces, though we did eat the cherries. We paid for the meal; split in half, of course; and started back. We didn't talk at all, though I kept bumping into him by mistake. He'd scoff and push me away lightly each time. After a while, it stopped becoming such an accident. I laughed a little when we stopped in front of the barn.

"You still have whipped cream all over your face," I said, stifling my laughter.

He smirked. "Oh, and you don't?"

We both laughed, but stopped when the door opened. Julia poked her head out and smirked widely.

"Looks like you two had a good date," she said.

I turned to Vaughn and raised my eyebrow. "How did she know?"

He blushed slightly and grabbed for his hat that was still in my hand. I leaned sideways to keep it out of his way and smirked.

"Answer the question," I demanded.

"She head-locked me until I told her why you left this morning blushing," he said, still leaning to get his hat.

Julia giggled. "You both have white stuff on your face. What were you up to?"

I glared at her. She was obviously implying something that didn't need implying. "If I wasn't already preoccupied, I'd walk over there and hit you, woman," I growled.

"Allow me," Vaughn said.

He walked over to the door and shoved Julia in before shutting the door. He walked back to me with a smirk on his face. I laughed and handed him his hat.

"That deserves a reward," I said.

He rolled his eyes and slapped his hat on his head. A slight breeze blew and my hair whipped into my face, sticking to the whipped cream. I scowled through the hair that had accumulated on my face.

"Just great..."

Vaughn chuckled and put his hand on my back, turning me to the hill. "C'mon, we'll clean you up at your house."

I blushed. The thought of letting Vaughn into my house was rather unsettling. I shook the thought out of my head. Vaughn may be an ass, but he's still a gentleman deep down. _Very_ deep down.

We got to my house and I unlocked the door, stepping in. Bandit barked a welcome and I knelt down. He tried to lick my face, but I wouldn't let him.

"I don't need you gassing the place up, bud. You're lactose-intolerant."

Vaughn laughed a little before crossing to my kitchen. "Where are your hand towels?"

"Drawer next to the sink. Doesn't matter which one you use."

He opened the drawer and ran the towel under water. He then walked over and began wiping my face gently. I scowled at him.

"I can wash my own face, ya know..."

He rolled his eyes. "Stop being so childish. This way I can get your hair off without hurting you."

I blushed while he finished up. His face wasn't so stern while he concentrated. It was rather soft and I had to hold myself back from touching it. He was beginning to have some strange effect on me. He stepped back when he was done and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"There ya go," he said as he walked back over to the sink.

I blushed and looked down at my shoes. "Th-Thanks..."

"No prob," he said as he ran water over the towel again.

He left the water running and simply scrubbed his face. His hat fell off of his head and I walked over. I knelt down to grab it, but he grabbed it first. I looked up at him and he was smirking.

"If I let you have it again, I won't ever get it back."

I smiled and laughed a little. "Nah, I'd have given it right back."

He held out his hand. "Uh-huh, sure you woulda."

I rolled my eyes but grabbed his hand. He pulled me to my feet and I stumbled forward a little. He grabbed onto my arm and placed a hand on my hip to prevent me from falling. I blushed dark red and I stepped back quickly.

"Wow, I'm so sorry. Stupid klutz attacks," I muttered.

He chuckled and walked to the door. "So, see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is Friday, genius."

He smirked. "Yeah, and tomorrow's the cow festival."

I gaped at him. "But...I didn't enter any cuz Bessie's expecting again."

He still smirked and leaned against the doorframe. "So you're not gonna show your face just because you didn't enter your cow? That's very unsportsmanlike."

"You mean unsports_woman_like," I said, glaring at him.

He chuckled. "That word is too long to fit in my vocabulary," he said as he started walking down the hill.

I rushed to the door. "It's only two letters longer!" I protested.

He held his hand up in the air as he laughed and walked down the hill. I closed the door with a scowl on my face, but it melted to a smile in a heartbeat.

So I'd get to see him tomorrow, huh?

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**I know it's been a while since you heard from me (and since I've updated this story), but college is evil like that XD I will try to get this story resolved so I can rewrite my Shea story and write that final extra chapter of the Vaughn story.  
**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I groaned as I looked at my beautiful plants. They were all covered in frost. My carrots were still alive, though this frost would set the harvest date further back. The eggplants were ok; I had harvested them the day before. Mark was growing spinach on the property; he bought it with his own money; and they were still in good shape.

I smiled to myself as I watered all of the crops, even Mark's spinach. I had given the blonde the morning off so he could get some rest. He was covered in bruises and he walked as if he was sore from head to toe. He was such a lightweight.

After the watering was done, I put the watering can in my toolbox inside and started going through my rucksack. I took out all of my tools and began putting all sorts of things in instead: a bottle of milk for Vaughn, a jar of yogurt for Julia, a block of cheese for Mirabelle, a potato I had saved for Elliot, some sashimi for Denny, a bowl of curry for Pierre, an amethyst for Sabrina and Regis, a strawberry I had saved for Natalie, a bar of chocolate for Lanna and Charlie, an omelet for Chen, a red magic flower for Eliza and Felicia, a mug of hot milk for Gannon, a recently harvested eggplant for Taro and Mark, and another large thermos of hot milk for myself and anyone who wanted some.

I took a deep breath and swung the rucksack onto my back carefully. It never weighed any more than it usually did, a feature I found odd. It also held everything in it, kinda like Mary Poppins' purse. I smiled and headed out the door.

* * *

I got to the meadow at ten, or at least I wasn't allowed _in_ until ten. I wandered around the town looking for everyone, handing out the gifts I had gotten. None of the men were around; they were probably helping set up with Mirabelle and Julia.

I entered the meadow and smiled at its beauty. Mirabelle definitely knew how to decorate, though I guess it doesn't help to have Julia as a daughter. I approached them and gave them their gifts, earning hugs and thank yous. I found everyone else as well, all except Mr. Cowboy. The meadow had gotten a little crowded when I was looking for him, so I had to stand on tip-toes to see over people. The only problem is that I'm shorter than everyone; even on my tip-toes. I sighed and pushed my way through the familiar and strange faces, waving to those who waved at me.

I still hadn't found him when Mirabelle welcomed everyone. With a defeated sigh, I walked over to a Mineral Town heifer. My jaw dropped when I saw her. Her fur was sleek and shining, though you could see the winter coat coming in, and there wasn't a speck of dirt on her. I didn't even want to pet her; I didn't want to get her all dirty.

"You like her?" someone asked.

I turned around and saw a blonde girl who was only a little taller than I was. She had bright blue eyes and she was smiling at me.

I nodded. "She's gorgeous. None of my girls look anything like her."

"Yeah, Milky is my best girl. She won the festival over in Mineral Town and the mayor told me about this one, so I thought that I might as well enter."

I smiled at her enthusiasm and held out my hand to her. "My name is Chelsea; I'm the rancher on this island."

She took my hand and smiled back. "My name is Claire and I'm the rancher back in Mineral Town."

"I've never been to Mineral Town, is it nice there?"

She smiled. "Yeah, everyone is so nice. There are the select few who I could live without, but that's what life is, right?"

I laughed. "It's just something you have to look over and pretend isn't there."

She giggled. "Exactly! Oh, if you're the rancher, where is you cow?"

I looked away sheepishly. "Well....My best heifer is expecting again and the other two I have aren't quite ready for the competition."

"Aw, I'm sorry. But hey, you'll have a little calf running around soon. Your girl must be a good mother."

I smiled and was glad to have made a friend. We talked more about our cows, comparing numbers and names. She had eight heifers back home and three sheep.

"I want a lamb so bad. But the Trading group that brings animals over doesn't have the qualifications to bring sheep over yet. I think that they have to have special permission to put sheep on a ship."

Claire giggled and I looked at her funny. "Sheep on a ship."

I couldn't stop the laughter that emerged and soon the two of us were giggling. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up. Vaughn was looking at me with an odd look on his face.

"Hey Vaughn," I said.

I shrugged my rucksack off of my shoulders and reached in, grabbing the bottle of milk. I handed it to him and his face went pink, as it did every day.

"I couldn't find you earlier; you're like a damn ninja or something. Oh, and if you'd prefer some hot milk," I pulled out the thermos, "I have some right here."

He tipped his hat down, but didn't say anything. Claire tugged on my sleeve, so I looked over.

"Is he your boyfriend? He's kinda cute," she whispered.

"No, he's a close friend though," I whispered back, blushing slightly.

Vaughn tilted his head back up and looked at me oddly. I simply smiled innocently and poured myself some hot milk.

"Want some, Claire?" I asked, holding out the mug.

She took the mug, took a sip and made a silly face. "Ugh, it smells like baby formula."

I laughed. "Yeah, but it's damn good. Want some too Vaughn? Oh, I can keep that milk in my rucksack if you'd rather."

He tipped his head back down and handed me the milk. I put it back in my bag and poured him a mug of the hot milk. After handing it to him, I poured myself some, placing the thermos back into my bag. Claire finished her mug quickly and handed the mug back.

"That was delicious, thank you," she said.

I smiled and nodded. "I'll see you later Claire."

"Wait, won't you introduce us?"

"Oh yeah, duh. Vaughn, this is-" I began.

"Claire, the rancher from Mineral Town. Owns eight heifers, three sheep and twelve hens," Vaughn said.

Claire's jaw dropped slightly and I knew that mine was as well. Vaughn simply sipped at his milk nonchalantly.

"H-How did you know that?" Claire stammered.

"I do business with Mineral Town too. That old guy on the ranch tells me all about you and your antics. That town is full of gossip, ya know that?"

Claire's face turned red and she began fiddling with her fingers. Knowing that she was embarrassed, I grabbed Vaughn's arm and smiled to Claire.

"I'll be back in a little while, ok Claire? Good luck!"

She nodded and smiled at me in what looked like relief. I dragged Vaughn away from her before letting go of him. He didn't question me; he just grunted, shrugged his shoulders a few times and walked beside me. We looked at all of the cows in the competition and discussed each good quality and all of the faults of each heifer. I got tired quick and headed towards one of the trees in the meadow. Vaughn followed and we sat down underneath it together. I poured us more hot milk before taking my rucksack off of my back.

"I hope Claire wins. Milky has such a beautiful coat," I said, taking a sip of my hot milk.

Vaughn grunted and sipped his as well. "Yeah well, don't count on it. That heifer from Waffle Town has her beat."

I shook my head. "I dunno. I think Milky's got a good chance."

Vaughn snorted. "What a stupid name for a cow."

I scowled at him. "For all we know it could be a shortened name."

"Short for what?"

"Milky Way, maybe or even Milky Desires."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking another sip. "Either way, those names are stupid."

I sighed deeply and leaned back against the tree trunk. There was a silence between us for a little while, though not awkward.

"Vaughn!" someone called.

We both looked up and saw Julia running towards us, waving her arms. Vaughn groaned and leaned back against the tree, his shoulder brushing against mine before resting against it completely. He made no motion to move it, so I didn't either.

"What do you want, Julia?" he asked.

"Sheesh, what's with the 'tude? I just wanted to talk to my cousin and his girlfriend," Julia said, putting her hands on her hips.

Vaughn sputtered on his milk while my jaw dropped.

"What kind of shit are you smoking?" Vaughn hissed.

Julia giggled. "Oh come on, I know you've got the hots for each other."

I clamped my eyes shut and gritted my teeth. "I swear to God, if I open my eyes and you're still standing there, I'm gonna chase you down and cut your hair."

I counted to ten and opened my eyes, but she was gone. I smirked and sipped my hot milk.

"Wow. I didn't know Julia could run that fast..." Vaughn muttered.

"She loves her hair. And I bought clippers last week," I said, smirking wider.

Vaughn mirrored my smirk and chuckled, taking another sip of his milk. I giggled slightly and he turned to me. I took my bandana off of my head and he gave me a puzzled look.

"You have milk dripping from your chin," I said, handing him my bandana.

His face turned red and he wiped it off quickly, handing my bandana back. I put it in my bag and finished my milk, putting the mug in the bag before closing it up. I sat in silence next to Vaughn until he finished his mug. He then handed it to me, stood up, tipped his hat and walked away. With a smile, I put the mug in my bag.

'_Sure he's an ass, but boy is he cute when he blushes,_' I thought to myself.

* * *

The festival ended all too fast. Vaughn had been right about the Waffle Town heifer; she won. Claire and Milky came in second; and I had been right about the name. Milky was short for Milky Way. I had stood beside Vaughn during the announcement of the winners and he had scoffed at the name and had whispered his victory in my ear. That earned a blush and a punch on the arm from me.

All in all, the day ended well. I said goodbye to Claire after swapping addresses so we could write to each other every now and again. Vaughn even walked me home, petting Bandit at the door.

"Seems like he likes you," I said as I crossed my arms and leaned against my doorframe.

He glanced up at me. "Well, I do have a way with animals."

I laughed and he smirked before standing up. I bent over slightly and patted my leg. Bandit turned with his ears up, wagged his tail and jumped into my arms.

"Whaddya know, so do I," I said with a smirk.

He chuckled and tipped his hat. "Til next week."

I smiled and nodded, waving as he walked down the hill. I went inside with Bandit still smiling.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, this chapter is kind of strange and random (but hey, the whole story is sort of). Hope you like it anyway**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

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**Chapter 7**

As far as I was concerned, Vaughn was a good friend. Of course that meant that I was in love with him. When it happened, I can't be precise. But hell, I wasn't gonna let the dumb cowboy know. Well, at least I'd try not to.

"Hey Vaughn, whatcha doin?"

He groaned as I leaned over his shoulder. I was at the Barn and I was bored; it was winter and I had no more work to do. Julia was out planning her wedding with her mom and Elliot's family. She had asked Vaughn and I to watch over the shop till they finished.

"I'm working, now go away," he grumbled.

I giggled and looked at the papers he was writing on. He had a calculator on his right side and every now and then he'd punch in numbers and write on the papers.

"Geez, you're really smart," I said in awe as I sat down next to him.

He groaned and turned to me, looking over his reading glasses. "You just don't give up, do you?"

I smiled. "'Course not; that'd be too easy."

He rolled his eyes and smirked, shaking his head and looking back down. I sighed and walked over to the main counter, hopping up onto it and dangling my legs over, facing Vaughn.

"Ya know; there isn't much of a point in us watching the shop. I mean, you're the animal dealer and I'm the only one on the island who buys the animals."

He chuckled, but didn't respond. I simply looked at him, made a face and stuck my tongue out childishly. He didn't look up, so I only looked like a fool to myself.

The cowbell over the door rang and I jumped, falling backwards off of the counter. I hit my head on the wall, saw black for a moment and then sat up, rubbing my head.

"Who just walked through the door?" I growled.

I heard the clunking of Vaughn's boots on the hardwood. "It's Mark."

I stood up; a little too fast; and started towards a frightened looking Mark. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him down to my level.

"Do you get a kick of knocking little girls to the ground, you freak?" I growled.

His jaw went slack and a yelp came out of his throat.

"It isn't nice to yell at a young man who hadn't a clue you were sitting on a countertop," a smooth voice said.

The cowbell rang again and I looked past Mark with a glare still on my face. A blonde guy wearing mostly white was standing in the doorway with a rose in his hand. He had pale blue eyes and a smirk that was almost as sexy as Vaughn's. I didn't just think that...

"Who're you?" I growled.

He walked forward and smiled at me, leaning over a little. "My name is William Regison the third, but you may call me Will."

"Regison? Sounds kinda like Regis..." I muttered.

His smiled broadened a little. "That would be my uncle."

I gawked at him. "That creepy-ass vampire is your _uncle_?"

He chuckled; a sound similar to Vaughn's. "Yes. And Sabrina is my little cousin."

I let go of Mark, causing him to fall to the floor. I stepped over him and held out my hand to Will.

"I'm Chelsea, the rancher around here."

He took my hand, turned it over so my palm was down and kissed it gently. A blush crept across my face at the softness.

"Mark has told only good stories about you, Miss Chelsea. I do hope we will be seeing more of each other."

I nodded slightly, but jumped when Will's hand was smacked out of my grip.

"Keep your grimy hands off of Chelsea," Vaughn's deep voice growled.

The tone sent shivers up my spine. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and he pulled me away from Will.

"Don't mingle with him. He's a womanizer," he whispered in my ear.

I shivered again involuntarily. Goddess, I hope he didn't notice. But damn, this is Vaughn we're talking about here; he's not exactly oblivious.

Will frowned. "Womanizer? Please. I know better than to behave in such a manner."

"Oh yeah? Sabrina told me that you brought a different woman on your yacht every night. You honestly think Sabrina would lie to me?"

I laughed at that; it was doubtful. She was the one who obsessed over him, remember? Will's frown turned into a devilish smirk.

"Oh? So that must mean that you're the cowboy she always talks about. So when's the wedding, cowboy?"

Vaughn let go of me and started towards Will. Mark finally stood up and quickly got in front of Will protectively.

"Vaughn, you can't hit Will. Regis will have you blacklisted."

That comment stopped Vaughn in his tracks. His hands balled into fists and I could imagine his face being dark and scary. I took a few steps back. It was the first time I was truly afraid of Vaughn.

"You expect me to let him say shit about me to my face?" Vaughn growled.

I held out my hand to him and touched his arm. He spun around so fast that I winced and covered my head, expecting to be hit.

"He's just trying to mess with you," I said quickly.

It was silent for a moment and I peeked out from under my arms. Vaughn had his head tilted down so his hat was covering his face. I glanced at Mark and Will, but they were backing out of the store slowly. Mark gave me a sympathetic look before darting out after Will.

Not two seconds after the door closed, Vaughn collapsed. I rushed forward and caught him, falling to my knees under his weight.

"Hey! Stupid! Are you dead! Don't die on me, you idiot!" I snapped, fear taking over.

He shuddered and grabbed my shoulders, causing me to freeze.

"V-Vaughn? A-Are you ok?" I asked.

He smacked his hat off his head and buried his face in the nook of my shoulder. He shuddered some more, though I was still confused.

"Hey, answer me when I talk to you idiot," I mumbled.

"Shut up," he growled.

So I did. I smiled a little and wrapped my arms around him. His grip on me tightened and I winced slightly at the pain. His grip almost immediately lessened.

"Can I at least know what's going on? I've never seen this happen before," I whispered.

His grip tightened as a response. I winced, but continued.

"That ain't a fair answer, cowboy," I growled.

He nuzzled into my shoulder again and sighed deeply, shuddering slightly as he did. "That guy....He pisses me off...."

"And you can't take a swing at him, I get it. Want me to give him a beating? I don't mind, honest."

He chuckled slightly. "What kind of man can't fight his own war?"

"One who's obviously being blackmailed by the second party," I said, shrugging slightly.

He leaned back, locking eyes with me. I felt myself blush at the closeness; a few inches I believe.

"I'm pretty sure that adding a third party to a war only makes matters worse," he whispered.

"I'm no third party; I'm an ally, thus making me part of the original parties."

He smiled; a genuine smile. I blushed again, a little darker. His right hand left my shoulder and it brushed my cheek.

"Will's a liar..." he muttered.

I tilted my head slightly. "What?"

He shook his head a little. "Nah, never mind...."

He placed his head back on my shoulder and sighed deeply. He wrapped his arms around me and inhaled deeply.

It was a little odd to see Vaughn acting so strangely. I shook it off and grabbed his hat, placing it on his head.

"Might wanna pull yourself together before Jules gets back," I muttered, though I didn't want to get up.

He shook his head, knocking his hat off again. "I don't give a damn about Julia..."

I sighed, picked up his hat and put it on my own head. I tried to stand up, but Vaughn's grip tightened.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled.

I sighed again and squirmed out of his grip. "Unlike you, I have a stupid image that needs protecting."

I stood up and tried to slow my heart down. I began walking to the counter again, but Vaughn grabbed my ankle.

"Sit your ass back down," he growled.

"And if I don't?" I growled back.

He tugged on my ankle rather childishly. I had to smile at him, which only caused him to scoff and look away. His grip never loosened, so I sighed and sat down again, putting my feet together and grabbing my ankles.

"So spill, what's got you acting like a little kid?"

He blushed slightly and looked away again. "What, I'm not allowed to have a soft side?"

I laughed and he scowled at me. "Not that you can't, it's just odd to see it. And I'd like to be warned the next time you just up and collapse on me."

He smiled and tilted his head slightly. "Ya know, I didn't think you'd actually try to catch me. You're a lot stronger than I gave you credit for."

I blushed and turned away. It was the first time he had ever complimented me; anyone even. I knew I was strong and I had thought that working on the ranch was the biggest sign of my strength. But I guess that wasn't enough for him.

I turned to say something to him and the words died at my tongue. Vaughn was leaning towards me staring at me very intently. I knew my face grew darker, but my thoughts were in a whole 'nother dimension.

"Don't move," he commanded.

So I didn't. He crawled over to me, flipped his hat off of my head and ran his fingers through my hair. He balanced on his knees and his left hand while he pressed his forehead to mine. I closed my eyes at the contact, hoping to slow my heartbeat and suppress the blush that was creeping to my ears. His right hand slowly progressed down to my chin and tilted it upwards. Without opening my eyes, I tried to breathe normally and slow my heartbeat. The minute I felt his quick breath on my lips, all bets were off. I still stayed silent and motionless as I felt him getting closer. He brushed his lips along mine gently and I choked on my breath as it caught in my throat.

It was over even faster than I had hoped. He grabbed his hat off the floor, stood up and walked back over to his work. I sat on the floor trying to control my heart and blush as the door opened.

"Hey you guys-Chelsea? What are you doing on the floor?" Julia asked.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my knees. "D-Don't worry about me....I'm ok..."

She rushed over and wrapped her arm around me. "Chels, what happened?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it....I'm...I'm gonna go home and take a nap..."

I stood up and headed to the door with my head down, hoping to hide the small blush that I could feel. I had my hand on the doorknob when I heard Vaughn's boots clinking on the floor.

"I'll walk you home. It's cold, so I'll start a fire too."

I nodded as several butterflies invaded my stomach.

"Vaughn? Are you ok? You don't normally go out of your way to walk Chelsea home, let alone do things for her," Julia said.

He chuckled darkly. "So it's ok to let her go home in the freezing cold to sit in her cold house and freeze? Fine, I'll see you later Chelsea."

I lifted my eyes and looked at him. He was smirking and his eyes held a playful look in them I had never seen before. I heard Julia scoff.

"Ugh, you're such a pain in the ass. Mama would get pissed if you didn't go, so get going."

Vaughn's smirk widened and he grabbed my wrist. I didn't even get to say goodbye as he pulled me up to the ranch.

Oh man....What is going on under that cowboy hat of his? What is he planning to do when we walk through the door? Oh god....

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**What's gonna happen? Nothing bad, I promise. :D**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it took so long. Blame my school work and writer's block :D**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

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**Chapter 8**

Vaughn was still dragging me as I sorted through my thoughts. Ok, to start off, he kissed me. I wasn't mad about that; far from it; more or less confused. Second, he was dragging me to my house with a smirk on his face. What he was planning I knew I wasn't ready for.

So when we got to the entrance of the ranch, I twisted out of his grip. He looked at me confused, but I shook my hand at him.

"You start the fire, Vaughn. I want to make sure the animals are warm enough," I said, walking towards the stable.

"You want help?" he asked, stepping towards me.

"Naw, I can handle it. I won't be long anyway; don't worry."

I retreated to the stable and shut the door behind me, slumping against it slightly. I was shaking in anticipation and nervousness. Bandit and Bullet seemed to notice and both walked over; Bullet nudging me and Bandit pawing at my leg. I reached down and picked Bandit up, nuzzling into his warm fur.

"Let's give Bullet some more hay," I muttered to Bandit, tossing a few flakes into Bullet's feed bin.

The big gelding snorted appreciatively and began munching on the hay. I carried Bandit out and glanced at the house before turning to the coop. The lights were on and there was smoke billowing out of the chimney, so I knew Vaughn had started a fire at least. With a sigh, I headed to the coop.

After opening the door, I saw my hens all huddled together, shaking. I put Bandit down in a flash and I rushed to the incubator I had installed. I turned it on; not really sure if this was going to work; and then grabbed the hens, placing them inside. As it heated up, they stopped shaking, clucking happily. I smiled and turned the machine down just a bit and then took a plank, propping it up against the side as a makeshift ramp. With another smile I put more feed in each feeder, hoping that food would warm them up a bit.

I grabbed Bandit again and made my way to the barn. Inside it was nice and warm. All of my cows were by their feeders, munching on hay. Even the new calf; whom I named Autumn; was standing by Bessie's feeder nibbling on the hay, though she didn't look like she was enjoying it. I smiled at my animals and threw each a fresh flake of hay. I then grabbed Bandit again and left.

With a deep sigh, I trudged through the snow to the house. I knew what was inside, but I didn't know what to _expect_ when I walked through the door. I paused at the door and Bandit whined a little. Looking down at him, I saw him put his paw on my arm, as if to reassure me. I smiled and nodded, opening the door and stepping in.

It was nice and cozy inside. I stepped out of my wets boots and put Bandit down, placing my boots next to Vaughn's. I heard a whistling noise and I looked to the kitchen. Vaughn was at the stove doing something and my breath caught in my throat. Was he making me food?

He turned slightly and a small smile spread across his lips. "I made some hot chocolate for you. I dunno how much you like hot milk."

I smiled at him and walked over to the counter. "You didn't have to, but I do appreciate it."

He handed me a mug and turned back to the stove. I smelled something cooking and I tilted my head.

"What are you making?" I asked, sipping at the cocoa. It was the perfect temperature and there were even marshmallows in it.

"I dunno about you, but I'm starved. And I saw that you had some ingredients for pancakes, so I thought I'd surprise you."

I couldn't help but smile. "So you wanted to tag along to cook food? Or was it your intention to have _me_ cook the food."

He scoffed. "I've had your cooking before."

I huffed, but still smiled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He turned with a playful smirk on his face. "I want to live until the end of the week, thank you."

I grabbed one of the pillows off of my bed and hit him with it. He laughed lightly and took it away, tossing it back in place.

"I'm sure if you had spilled some of your cocoa on that, you would have blamed me."

"Well yeah, how is it my fault?"

We both laughed and I sat down at the table, waiting for him to finish. It was odd having him cook for me in my house. I felt like a poor hostess, but this was Vaughn. I honestly don't think he cared.

Bandit jumped into my lap when I sat down and I stroked his soft head. He whined and patted my leg a few times. Laughing, I stood up and went into the kitchen, grabbing his spare bowl and some food. Vaughn watched as I poured it and gave me an odd look.

"Shouldn't he eat in the stable?"

I looked up at him. "You wanna go back out in the cold and take him there, wait till he's done and then come back?"

He wrinkled his nose and I laughed.

"Didn't think so," I said, flicking his nose lightly as I walked past him.

He grabbed me in a flash and I gasped in surprise. I clenched my hand tight around the dog food bag so that it wouldn't spill. His grip around my waist was gently, but strong and he chuckled in my ear.

"I wouldn't recommend dropping that," he whispered.

"Thank you Sherlock Holmes...." I muttered.

He laughed in my ear quietly. "You said that to me back in spring too, when you would play all your silly little games. Too bad you stopped all of that for me."

I blushed deeply. "You're so full of yourself..."

"Oh? Julia mentioned it and you verified it if I remember correctly."

"Big deal? You told me that you prefer boring anyway."

"A-ha! So it was for me!"

I blushed deeper. "Sh-Shut up!"

He laughed again and nuzzled into my neck, causing me to freeze. He hummed a little. "You smell nice."

"Um, random comment much?"

He chuckled. "I guess it is. But it's still true."

I blushed and fiddled with the bag. "S-So what brought all this on? I-I mean, you never really showed any kind of i-intimate interest in me before now."

He straightened up and sighed. "It doesn't help when the interest fluctuates."

I turned and tilted my head. "Whaddya mean?"

He made a face that told me he was thinking and I tried not to laugh. His face brightened a little as I assumed he found his answer. "Well, in spring you were a bouncy ball of energy; like a Chihuahua. I don't exactly get along with people like that. After I yelled at ya, I didn't see much of you. In summer when that kid came around, you sparked some odd sense of jealousy in me. Mind you, I never been jealous before. And then I find out that he doesn't even handle the animals, so what's the point of having him around? I couldn't wrap my head 'round that one."

I giggled, thus interrupting him. He scowled at me, but smiled and shook his head.

"Back when we had our little dinner, I thought that maybe we could be friends. Sooner'n I thought, I wanted more than friendship. I never felt like this, Chels...Never."

I looked up at him and his eyes were like open doors for the first time. I saw pain, happiness, longing and sorrow all mixed together. Seeing it practically made my head spin. He leaned down and put his head on my shoulder.

"I need you, Chels...Whaddya say?"

My jaw had long since gone slack and my throat was drier than the desert. He looked at me and laughed; my face must've been amusing. He placed his forehead against mine and shut his eyes.

"Speechless?"

I nodded and swallowed hard. He chuckled again and gave me an Eskimo kiss. He then turned back to the stove after letting go of me.

"Well just think about it," he said flipping the pancakes without a spatula. He then put them on two plates and took those to the table. "But for now, let's eat."

I nodded again, still dumbfounded by his little speech. He took my hand gently and pulled me over to the table, sitting me down in my chair.

I ate slowly, self-conscious as he kept glancing at me. The food was delicious, so I used that as an excuse to eat slowly; wanted to actually taste the food, not just wolf it down.

"You're unnaturally quiet, Chels."

I looked up and saw that Vaughn had finished already and was leaning on his elbows. He had an amused smirk on his face. I furrowed my eyebrows and swallowed.

"It's good food, so I'm not gonna waste my time by talking when I could be eating," I said, shoving more down the hatch.

He chuckled and waited till I was done. He went to take the dishes, but I smacked his hand and grabbed them all. I went to the sink and filled one side with hot, soapy water. After grabbing a wash cloth and rolling up my sleeves, I began washing my dishes by hand. Vaughn was leaning against the counter next to my, playing with the toothpick in his mouth. He balanced it on his tongue and I rolled my eyes smiling. He put it back in his mouth and smirked.

After the dishes were all clean and rinsed off, I took the wash cloth as the sink was draining and I wiped down the table. I then tossed the cloth in the sink and flopped down on the couch.

"That was a very good brunch, Vaughn," I said, propping my feet up on the coffee table.

Bandit jumped into my lap again and I patted his head before putting my hands behind my head with a deep sigh, closing my eyes. Vaughn's hands touched mine and I opened my eyes, looking up at him. He had a warm smile on his face and I felt mine begin to heat up. He leaned down just a hair and brushed his lips against mine, putting a little more pressure against them after a few moments. It was light and over quick, though it left me begging for more.

"I'd best get going. I wait any longer and Jules will harass us both," he said, straightening up.

"O-Ok," I said, face still all hot.

He smiled again and kissed my forehead. "Don't forget to think about what I said."

I nodded and he crossed to the door, stepping into his boots. He tipped his hat at me with a smile and stepped out the door, closing it tightly behind him. I crossed to my front window slowly and pulled the drapes back carefully, hoping he wouldn't catch me peeking. He had his shoulders hunched as he walked down the hill with his hands in his pockets. I smiled and sat back down, Bandit still in my arms.

He practically told me he loved me, just not as straight up and obvious. I wasn't really sure what he was asking of me, but I assumed he wanted to start dating. But what if it was marriage?

"Marriage?" I asked myself skeptically. "Way too soon for that, Chels. He knows better." I looked down at Bandit who was looking back up at me.

Oh, damn I hope he ain't askin' for that.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Christmas is always hectic in my life (so many houses to visit) and I had finals. So I know it's been a while, but enjoy anyways?**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

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**Chapter 9**

I didn't see Vaughn again until the twelfth, also known as Vaughn stalker birthday. I announced this when I walked into the barn that Wednesday and Julia practically fell over from laughing so hard. What can I say? I'm a friggin riot.

"That's not very nice, kids," Mirabelle said, handing me a mug of hot chocolate.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Come _on_ Mirabelle. She broke one of your windows when she found out that Vaughn was hot."

Vaughn and Julia sputtered on their drinks; tea for Jules and hot milk for Vaughn. I went to take a sip of my cocoa, but stopped when I saw the same odd look on their faces.

"What?" I questioned. I hated getting weird looks.

Julia laughed a little; lightening the tense mood. "You're so blunt, aintcha?"

I pointed at her; yes I know it's rude, but I really don't give a crud. "Aintcha ain't a word."

She pointed right back, putting our index fingers together. "Ain't ain't a word either."

We both giggled, pushing on our index fingers together. After a few minutes, it wasn't such a friendly poking brawl and it turned into a small competition of who had the strongest index finger. Vaughn rolled his eyes and drank his milk while Mirabelle laughed and said something about our antics.

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"Say what you want Jules; you only won because you're a dirty cheater who can't play any game fairly," I said as we walked to the Diner. 'We' being Julia, Vaughn and myself of course.

She scoffed. "This coming from the one who said 'Oh look; it's your fiancé'," she shot back, crossing her arms.

"Speak of the devil, where is he?" I asked.

She pointed at me accusingly. "Don't change the subject, you little snot! And he's meeting us there. Think of it as a double date."

"Uh, date?" I questioned. "I don't remember asking Vaughn or having been asked by Vaughn to go steady, thank you very much."

Vaughn cleared his throat; obviously uncomfortable about us talking about him when he was right there. Being female, we ignored him.

"Who cares if you two are together or not; it's a double date and I've dragged you along. So behave yourself or-Where are you going?"

I grabbed Vaughn's wrist and started walking towards the barn again. "C'mon Vaughn; her dragging us into her little scheme seems to be rather childish."

Vaughn sighed. If I could guess what was going on in his weird brain, he'd be saying something like: '_It don't seem fair that you're doing the same thing, but I love you, so it's ok_'. Yeah, let's pretend he's thinking that.

I was stopped dead in my tracks when I felt an angry vibe from behind me. Vaughn yanked his hand away from me and started back towards Julia. I didn't turn around; not even when the hair on my neck stood on end. Not even when I heard the slow footsteps approaching me or the sound of knuckles cracking. Damn, I was literally frozen in place.

"You'd best get your sorry butt inside that Diner before I have to kick and drag it there myself," Julia growled, getting closer to me with every second.

I swallowed hard. "J-Jules? I-I'll go; I swear I won't run. Just please don't kill me," I begged.

Her hand fell onto my shoulder and I jumped, yelping slightly. She giggled girlishly. "Ok!"

With her guidance; my legs were about to crumble beneath me; the three of us continued to the Diner. Elliot was waiting at a booth off to the right and Julia skipped over to him; a girlish vibe following her. I shuddered to think that she had given off a much more polar vibe just moments before. Vaughn chuckled quietly next to me as we walked over.

* * *

"How's the planning going so far?" I asked as we ate. "Got a dress, bridesmaids, cake designs, and the rest of wedding stuff that has to be planned yet?"

Elliot paled again; I was probably scaring the crap outta the poor kid. Julia jumped to his defensive though. "Mama and I are gonna get the dress tomorrow; so Vaughn's gonna watch the store. Felicia already made the most beautiful cake I've ever seen; wait till you see it Chel. And of course everyone on the island is invited, so I don't need any invitations."

"Bridesmaids Jules. You totally skipped that part," I muttered.

She blushed. "Well that's why I dragged you along..."

I put my fork down and tilted my head slightly. "I don't follow."

"Will you be the Maid of Honor?" she asked me.

Had I been eating anything, I'd have been choking. "M-Me? Why me? Wait, dresses? No, I don't do well in heels. Jules, you're trying to kill me!"

I earned laughs all around the table for that. Elliot seemed surprised that Vaughn had actually laughed, but he didn't press it at all.

"Please Chel? I can't rely on Lanna; you and I both know she'll be sucking Denny tongue," she said, earning a shudder from me. "It'd be awkward to have Nat do it, not that I wouldn't ask or anything. And Regis won't let Brie do it. Please, Chelly?"

I flinched at the nickname. "Don't call me that, Jules. And fine; I'll do it. I just hope you don't mind me ruining the whole ceremony when I fall on my face and bleed to death."

She giggled. "You won't bleed to death, Chel. Besides, Vaughn will give you CPR if you do."

Both Vaughn and I did a spit-take. Vaughn sprayed water away from the table, but Julia was victim to my water spray. She squealed, but seemed to be more amused than disgusted.

"You two are so easy to tease about the simplicities of romance," she giggled. She then grabbed Elliot's arm as I wiped my mouth with my napkin. "C'mon El, let's go tell everyone that Chel agreed."

The two of them slipped off after leaving money for their side of the bill. I sighed deeply and shrunk to the table, laying my head on my arms.

"I hate your cousin, Vaughn," I groaned.

"Me too, Chel."

I blushed slightly at the intimacy of the name. Had Julia still been present, he'd never say such a term so lightly. I blushed darker still when he slid closer to me, pulling my left arm down and lacing our fingers together. I felt his breath at my ear and I shuddered. The cheating jerk-face chuckled.

"It's much more fun to be flirty behind her back, isn't it?" he whispered; obviously enjoying the fact that my ears were sensitive.

"Flirty? I'm sure that Jules would put this in the 'seduction' category. Maybe even 'love-sickness gone haywire'."

He leaned back slightly and slid a little further away, leaving our fingers laced together under the table.

"Anything else?" a waiter asked.

I groaned slightly, not really in the mood for food. I probably sounded like Frankenstein after he just woke up and found out he had been struck by lightning and lived.

"A chocolate milkshake, whipped cream and two cherries, please. If it's not too much to ask," Vaughn said in a fluid tone.

I lifted my head and saw a smile on Vaughn's face. The waiter seemed to be at a loss for words. After a few minutes, he wrote down the order and gathered the dishes hastily. As he walked away, Vaughn sighed deeply and leaned his head back.

"That was the most difficult thing I think I've ever done," he muttered.

"Why _did_ you do it? You _never_ smile around these normal freaks," I whispered, pointing out to the normal freaks.

He chuckled and turned to me slightly. "Jealous?"

I gawked at him and then turned away, yanking my hand free from his to cross my arms and pout. He chuckled again and his hat fell over my eyes.

"You'd best enjoy this milkshake with me. Else you ain't leaving this Diner."

I adjusted the hat so I could see and turned back to him. He had his right eye open looking at me and he was smirking. I laughed and pushed him lightly causing him to chuckle a bit.

"How could I pass up free food, let alone a free milkshake?" I questioned.

He put his hands in a 'Thinker' position and then shook his head. "You can't."

I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder slightly. "That's my point."

His face turned slight pink and his bangs fell into his face so I leaned away with a giggle. I focused my attention on the acoustic guitar Luke had hanging on the wall. I couldn't play, but I had wanted to learn since I was little.

I jumped slightly when Vaughn grabbed my hand under the table again, lacing our fingers together. When I thought of my past, I tended to get fully engulfed in memories and lose track of real time. I turned back to him and he was smiling gently at me.

"Scare you?"  
I scoffed. "As if, cowboy."

We both laughed a little before settling into a comfortable silence. It became a little less comfortable when I heard a familiar quiet hello to the left. I looked over and saw Sabrina standing at the counter talking to Luke. She must have ordered because Luke went to the kitchen and she turned to scan the room. The girl must've had some sort of Vaughn radar and she spotted him quickly, a look of happiness spreading across her face. Her eyes flashed to my face and it suddenly darkened, reminding me of Julia's bi-polarism antic earlier. I shuddered and Vaughn glanced over. I wonder if he saw her too?

He did now. The little mouse sat down where Elliot and Julia had previously been. "Hey Vaughn; what're you doing here?"

I scowled at her. Yeah, thanks for saying hi to me too, you evil witch.

"I believe that's none of your business," Vaughn said coldly.

She winced slightly, looking down at her lap for a moment. She looked back up with a renewed fire in her eyes, so to speak. She snatched Vaughn's hat off my head and placed it back on Vaughn's head. "You shouldn't take things that don't belong to you, Chelsea. What manners did your parents teach you?"

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, possibly crushing Vaughn's hand in the process. Yeah, I doubt I could do that. "Don't talk about my parents like you knew them," I growled, hoping to convey the point that I didn't talk about them.

Vaughn let go of my hand and placed his hat back on my head, covering my eyes and sighing. "I'm here with Chelsea, so get lost Sabrina. I understand that today is your birthday, but I didn't get you anything. Nor do I plan to."

Vaughn's hand stayed on my head, so I couldn't shift the hat to watch the little mouse cry and bolt out of there. I heard her make a fuss; someone was knocked over and I heard several glasses break. What a baby.

"So you get to say mean things to her and I don't even get to watch the misery? What kind of person are you?" I asked when he removed his hand.

I tilted the hat back and saw Vaughn over by the waitress who had fallen down. He first helped her up and then began picking up the big glass pieces. The waitress was looking at him adoringly and I felt jealousy and rage surge through me; two emotions I was quite familiar with. He put the glass on the tray and then walked back over to the table, taking his hat back from me as he sat down. The milkshake arrived moments later and we drank it in silence; no cream war this time around.

* * *

We left the Diner together, huddled close as a gust of wind threatened to knock us over. Neither of us spoke; I was still fighting the jealous rage and Vaughn was like that. We neared the barn and I went to walk in, but Vaughn grabbed my wrist, tugging me towards the ranch. We got up there and walked into the cold house. I tossed a few logs into the fireplace and struck a match, tossing it into the fire. After a few minutes, the room was glowing with firelight and shadows danced on the wall.

"Want something to drink, Vaughn?" I asked as I took my boots and jacket off. He sat down on the couch when I was lighting the fire.

"I'm good..."

I shrugged and went to the kitchen, setting up some water in a kettle on the stove. After another five-ten minutes, I poured the boiling water into a mug and made some hot chocolate for me. I put the kettle back on the stove to keep warm and crossed over to the couch.

"You're rather quiet," I muttered, taking a sip.

"Could say the same to you," he muttered back, not taking his eyes off the fire.

His face looked calm yet conflicted in the firelight. His eyes reflected the dancing fire and made him seem almost frightening. The shadows danced across his face every now and then, giving him a mysterious aura. I put the mug down and knelt on the couch next to him. He turned to me wide-eyed, but I shook my head.

"Turn back and don't move," I commanded.

His face darkened slightly; a blush, maybe; but he turned away and closed his eyes. With shaking hands, I took his hat off and put it on the coffee table next to the mug. I then turned back and touched his face gently with the tips of my fingers. He shuddered slightly and inhaled sharply; my hands were probably cold; but settled without saying a word.

I felt like a child touching a family member's face out of curiosity, but I couldn't help it. Vaughn was full of secrets and mystery. His face was mostly plastered in a scowl, or a frown, and his eyes were mostly smoldering in a glare. But beneath all of that exterior hatred I knew was a frightened guy who needed someone to help.

How did I know? Call it a hunch if you will, but I'm the same way. I am this bubbly, outgoing girl who never cares about much, but I have many things I fear. My past for example. It can't hurt me anymore, but it wakes me up from a dead sleep sometimes. How exactly does one go about talking about something like that? When you're seen as the tough rancher, there is no talk of fear.

I realized I had stopped tracing Vaughn's face when he was looking right into my eyes. The barriers that were usually up had fallen again. There was no mixture of feelings though. It was just a pure emotion; one I couldn't even begin to label.

"You never did answer my question from last week," he whispered.

"I've been contemplating what exactly you mean by your question. Seeing as it wasn't straight to the point, I'm not sure I can answer it at all," I mumbled.

He smiled and pressed his forehead to mine with a content sigh. "At least you thought about it. That makes a difference to me."

I closed my eyes and tried not to let my heart skip a beat; failing miserably. I built up some courage and I tilted my head back, rolling our foreheads backwards. He gasped slightly as our noses brushed each other and almost right after, our lips touched slightly. I jumped back a little, embarrassed that I even had the courage to get that far.

I turned away, pulled my knees up, shoved my head in between my knees and blushed like the dickens. Vaughn chuckled beside me and uncurled me gently. I felt more than humiliated, but he didn't seem to care. He grabbed my chin gently and pressed our lips together again, gently at first, but applied more pressure after a minute or so.

It was over as quickly as it began. He pulled back and of course, I was still blushing like a fool. I do that sometimes. He laughed at my face and sat back on the couch.

"Kissing you is too much fun."

I frowned at him. "I'm glad I can help."

He turned back to me and ran his hand through my hair. "Do you want me to ask the question again?"

I swallowed hard. He was going to ask either way; that's just how he is.

"Chels, wanna be my girl?"

* * *

**Cliffhanger! I love them =3**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok, this is the last chapter of this story. I like how I ended it, but if it's not a suitable ending for someone out there, I can keep going =)**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume****  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

To say I was flabbergasted would be an understatement. It's not that I hadn't seen it coming; though I was expecting a fat diamond atop a gold band for some reason; but still. Vaughn wants me to be his girlfriend? What kind of qualities do I have that could _possibly_ be better than say, his stalker?

Ok, don't bother answering that; I know I'm amazingly awesome.

But nonetheless, my voice had abandoned me; hitchhiked its way to Timbuktu or something like that. I sat there next to a very expectant looking Vaughn with no voice. This couldn't end well.

"Chels?" he asked. I hope he wasn't thinking that I was brain-dead.

I nodded with my jaw tightened; didn't need it falling open again. He chuckled a bit and put his forehead against mine.

"Ya know, you're so cute," he muttered, kissing my forehead gently.

Great; now my voice was never gonna come back. I blushed like crazy, sort of wishing I could hide my embarrassment with some witty comment. No such luck around Vaughn.

He leaned back and looked me straight in the eyes. "I honestly don't know how I managed life without you. Call it cheesy or corny or whatever, but you really are my other half. Better half, I'd say."

I rolled my eyes and found my lost voice. "Oh please," I said flatly, though my voice was dry and cracked. "You keep saying you're this horrible person, but have you once said mean things to me?"

He raised his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. I wanted to wipe it off in ways I cannot say.

"The past is the past, Vaughn. I'm not afraid of you and you know it," I said, flicking his nose gently.

He laughed and his amethyst eyes sparkled with happiness. I smiled back and pulled him towards me for a quick kiss. He laughed again, breaking the kiss. I was blushing again, but I managed a scowl.

"What are you laughing about?" I whined, a little upset that he was laughing at me.

"Nothing really. It's just nice to know that you like kissing me as much as I like kissing you," he said, his voice seductive as he leaned closer.

With a darkening blush on my face, I leaned away a little. He had a sexy smirk on his face and his eyes sparkled with mischief. He started leaning towards me faster than I could lean away and he eventually had his lips resting against mine. There was no pressure behind the light kiss and it sent shivers through my entire body.

"I want to hear you say it," he whispered, his lips moving gently against mine.

I swallowed hard as I tried to focus on what he said. "W-Want me to s-say wh-what?"

He chuckled slightly and pulled his lips away from my lips. Seconds later, his breath was at my ear. "I want you to tell me that you'll be my girlfriend."

Hearing him say girlfriend in my ear was like some sort of drug. I shuddered and grabbed onto his arm as I started to fall over. The jerk-face was toying with my sanity, let alone my hormones. Goddess, what an asshole he can't be. A very sexy and seductive asshole.

"Wh-why do you want me to s-say it?" I stammered.

He lowered me down onto the couch so that my back was against it. He was hovering over me with his left knee on the inside of the couch and his right foot resting on the floor. His hands were on either side of my head, which was on a pillow, and he had that sexy smirk on his face still. He leaned down next to my ear again, sending shivers up my spine.

"I'm waiting," he said in a low, sing-song voice.

I swallowed at least twice before I could even open my mouth to respond. "Y-Yes, Vaughn. I-I'll be your girlfriend."

He groaned slightly, leaned away from my ear and kissed me hard. I inhaled deeply through my nose, the kiss catching me off guard. It was the first kiss from him that didn't hold back. I could feel all of his passion and love for me, all in just a silly little kiss. Call it what you will, but it had to have been the most amazing feeling in the world.

His right hand was cupping my cheek and chin; his hands are a bit bigger than my face; and his left was lost in my hair somewhere. My bandana was gone, probably stuck in the couch cushions again. He pulled back from my lips briefly, took a deep breath and went back to kissing me. Every now and then, he would tilt my head back with his hand and tilt his head to one side.

After a few minutes of that, he pulled back slightly, still inches from me. His face was bright red, most likely mirroring my own, and his breathing was slightly labored. He closed his eyes and slowly leaned back down. The kiss turned loving instead of passionate. I started getting the hang of this kissing thing and I pushed back slightly. He inhaled sharply through his nose as I had and he lost control. The kissing became passionate again. I rolled my eyes slightly and smiled in the kiss. He pulled back and looked down at me sheepishly.

"Sorry, you uh...Surprised me," he said shyly.

I laughed slightly and shook my head. "Ya know," I said, trying to look mischievous, "you're really cute when you act shy like that."

His expression went blank, but a dark red blush crossed over his face. His eyes were wide and he didn't try to hide his face from me. I laughed again, a little lighter than before.

"You ok? You look like nobody's ever said that before," I said, brushing the hair away from his face.

"That's cuz nobody ever has," he said softly, his eyes still wide.

My eyes widened slightly. "What? But, girls have to have chased you all the time in the city."

He nodded. "They do. But not one has ever called me _cute_."

I tilted my head and scowled at him in confusion. He sighed, but a smile was on his face.

"_Usually_ girls call me hot," he said tilting his head, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

I blushed and looked away. "Well sorry I hurt your pride then."

He chuckled and leaned down again, his breath on my ear. Shivers invaded my body and I closed my eyes. "Hearing you call me cute is something special, Chel. I'd ask you to say it all the time, but then my pride really would be hurt."

I glanced at him. "Oh yeah? How so?"

His eyes had that glint of mischief in them again. "Think about it a sec. If you said it _all_ the time, you'd be saying it around Julia and Elliot and my auntie."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't want people to see a little color in your cheeks?"

He smirked and gave my ear a swift lick. My body got all tingly and I shivered. He chuckled and did it twice more before getting up off of me. He grabbed his hat off of the table and slapped it on his head before crossing to the door. I sat up and looked at him curiously.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked, rather surprised to hear my own childish sounding voice.

He chuckled and turned back, a sexy smirk on his lips again. "I have to go back to the city early this week. That way, I can be here longer next week."

I tilted my head to the side. "What's so special about next week?"

He sighed and chuckled, leaning over and grabbing my chin in his hand. "You're so cute, Chel."

He kissed me softly and then pulled back, hand on the door. I turned on the couch so I had my arms resting on the back and my knees on the cushions. "Seriously, what's next week, Vaughn?"

He turned back. "The day I watch my cousin get married and see my girlfriend in a dress."

* * *

"Julia, this is so not gonna work."

"Oh be quiet, Chelsea, you look beautiful."

"You really do, Chelsea."

"See? Even Mama agrees."

It was the big day for Julia and possibly my last day on Earth. She was in a gorgeous two piece wedding dress; a simple white gown underneath a white corset. It was strapless and had gems all over it in a beautiful floral pattern. Of course, the dang thing was expensive; I had to go with her to pick it out.

As for me? Well, being the maid of honor had its perks. I was the other special girl there. Sure, we had a color code type thing. But I don't really understand the wedding world, so I just do as I'm told. I was wearing a ruby dress that was a V-neck and had a white sash around the waist. The other girls were in off-white dresses; to not bring attention to them; that had a red sash around the waist.

As far as the bouquet, good god it was huge. It had to have every flower on the island in it. I believe Natalie made it for Julia with the help of her mother of course.

"Seriously, this may be the happiest day of your life, Jules. But I'm afraid this may be my last day on this planet," I said as I stepped down from the podium in front of a huge mirror. As I did, I tripped over my two feet and fell to the floor. "See what I mean? And I'm not even in the heels you expect me to wear."

Julia and Mirabelle laughed at me before helping me to my feet. "Oh, Chels. You're gonna be with Vaughn today. No need to be so worried; he won't let you fall down and make a total fool of yourself."

I shot a glare at Julia. "_You_ don't have to worry cuz _you_ won't be the one messing up the wedding. You're lucky Doc Trent is here today. It's like he's expecting a catastrophe."

She giggled, but said nothing. We were already at the church, in one of the back rooms for changing. Poor Elliot must be out there pacing up a storm. You could hear Taro shouting to him every now and then. He asked Pierre to be his best man. I think Natalie threatened him to do it, but Pierre is a great guy. Not that I'd ever want anything to do with him; he looks like he's eight.

There was a knock on the door and Julia ducked behind the curtain of the window. I rolled my eyes and crossed over, opening it just a sliver. "Yeah?"

"Is she ready yet?"

My heart skipped a beat and I almost opened the door further when I heard Vaughn's voice. "Not yet, just adding some finishing touches."

He sighed deeply. "Well hurry up," he muttered. "I wanna see you."

My heart skipped another beat. I hadn't gotten to see him since he left the week prior; Julia was getting hitched the day he arrived and had _insisted_ that he stay as far away from me as possible. Vaughn and I still hadn't told anybody about our recent change in relationship.

"I can't make her move any quicker, so just be patient, ok?"

He sighed and I imagined him scratching his head under his hat. "I'm not good with patient and you know it."

I giggled and shut the door. Julia darted back out from the curtain. "Who was it?"

"Vaughn. He wants you to hurry up, but he knows that perfection takes time," I said with a smile.

She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder about that boy. Well whatever. Mama, we got a lot of people waiting on me."

Mirabelle stepped towards Julia holding a necklace. "I wore this when I married your father; may he rest in peace. I was going to wait to give it to you afterwards, but I think it will look beautiful with that dress."

As Mirabelle slipped it around her neck, Julia touched it and turned to the mirror. Mirabelle was right; the necklace matched the dress beautifully. It was a silver chain with a locket on it. From where I was by the door, I could see that there was some kind of design on the front of it. Julia turned to her mother with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Mama, it's beautiful. Chels, come look."

I stepped towards her and she held out the locket to me. Touching it, I ran my finger over the design. The locket itself was in the shape of a heart and the design was raised vines wrapping all around it. I glanced up at her.

"Can I open it?"

Julia glanced at Mirabelle who nodded. Julia then nodded down at me and I opened it with my thumb. Inside was a picture of a young couple with their foreheads together. I looked up at Mirabelle.

"Is this you and your husband?"

She nodded sadly. "That was a birthday gift from Cyrus. The picture was at a café in the city that we went to all the time. He proposed to me there too. He was such a sweetheart."

Julia put her hand on her mother's arm. "If daddy was here, he'd be crying about having to give me up."

Both women laughed and I watched sadly. My folks died when I was a kid, so there wouldn't be anyone to give me away to Vaughn. I mean; my husband.

"C'mon. I think El has been waiting long enough," Julia said, checking herself in the mirror one last time.

I nodded and slipped into the dangerous stilettos. Mirabelle left the room to get everyone lined up and Julia turned to me taking a deep breath. "I'm so excited."

I touched her arm. "I'm happy for you, Jules. Now get out there and make that guy the happiest in the world."

She hugged me and we left the room.

* * *

Everyone clapped as Julia and Elliot tied the knot with a kiss. If I hadn't known better, I'd say Elliot was about to faint, but he had gotten a lot tougher in the past few weeks. I felt a tough hand slip into mine and I smiled before turning.

Vaughn was actually all decked out in a suit. His hat was abandoned and he looked like James Bond. Well, if James Bond had sexy white hair and gorgeous eyes. He pulled me closer to him and pressed his lips against my head.

"You look amazing, Chel," he muttered.

I blushed. "You don't look half bad yourself."

He leaned back and I caught his smirk. Julia announced that she was going to through the bouquet and the girls just lined up in front of Julia. Vaughn's smirk widened and he herded me closer. I raised my eyebrows at him, but he just shook his head. The girls counted down from three and Julia tossed it. Vaughn reached over all of the girl's outstretched hands and caught it, much to my surprise. The crowd gasped as he turned to me.

"Looks like we're the next to get hitched, huh?" he asked, smirking and handing it to me.

I don't know who was more surprised: me, Mirabelle, Julia, or Sabrina. The entire room was silent; a cricket could fart and everyone would hear it. My face was redder than a tomato as I played with the flowers.

"Y-Yeah, I guess so..."

Everyone gasped again. Vaughn grabbed my chin with his index finger and thumb, tilting it up towards him. "Don't be so shy, Chel. You know I love you and I'm not afraid to let everyone know."

He leaned down and kissed me gently, but sweetly and the room was filled with gasping and 'aww's'. He broke into a smile, but didn't break the kiss. He wrapped one of his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. He broke away only when someone tackled us. It was Julia.

"You didn't tell me?" she asked accusingly. "What kind of family are you?"

I was red and he was smirking. "Aw come on, Jules. I can't keep some secrets to myself?"

She punched him lightly and wrapped one arm around my neck. "So do I get to be your maid of honor?"

My face went bright red again. "Th-That won't be for a long time, Jules."

Vaughn hit Julia's arm off of me and hugged me close. "Don't touch my girlfriend," he growled playfully in my ear.

Julia scowled at him and tugged me out of his grip. "Believe it or not, _cousin_, she's _my_ maid of honor. So get used to sharing. C'mon Chel. Let's dance."

"B-But first dance, Jules! El's waiting for you!" I protested.

"Fine, but you'd best save a dance for me," she said bounding off to Elliot.

I sighed deeply and was pulled back into Vaughn's arms. "She shouldn't tell me to share you. I really don't want to."

I shuddered slightly, but managed a scoff. "Julia should be the least of your worries, Vaughn. Mark is still out there and hunting."

His grip tightened when I mentioned the blonde and he growled in my ear. I chuckled and turned in his grip.

"You have nothing to worry about. If he tries anything, just give him a knuckle sandwich."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "A knuckle sandwich from my boot to his ass."

I punched him playfully. "C'mon, let's go dance."

I dragged him to the Dancefloor where El and Jules were dancing and actually earned a laugh from him. I blushed as he pulled me close and put his arms around me. I laid my head against his shoulder and sighed contently.

"My little firecracker," he muttered.

"Hm?" I asked, looking up at him.

He smiled down at me. "You're my little firecracker. Don't deny it; cuz it's true. Not many people can bring this childish, jealous side outta me."

I smiled back before laying my head back against his shoulder.

Life was finally perfect.

**The End**


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